Semiconductor process chamber exhaust port quartz removal tool

ABSTRACT

A tool for removing a quartz insert from an exhaust port of a semiconductor process chamber. In one embodiment, the tool of the present invention comprises a pair of generally elongated members (a first elongated member and a second elongated member) that are hingedly attached at a middle portion of each member. The first elongated member includes a first handle portion and a first end portion that are located on opposite ends of the middle portion of the elongated member. The second elongated member includes a second handle portion and a second end portion. The first and second handle portions are of sufficient length so as to be gripped by a user. A first head and a second head are pivotally attached to the first and second end portion of the first and second elongated members, respectively. Each head includes a face made of a pliable, gripping material, such as silicon rubber, for engaging the inner side wall surfaces of a quartz insert that is located within the exhaust port of a semiconductor processing chamber. The quartz insert is removed by inserting the first and second heads into the through bore opening of the quartz insert and moving the first and second handle portions outward away from one another such that the face of each head is in abutting engagement with the inner side wall surfaces of the quartz insert. Removal of the quartz insert is achieved by urging the first and second handle portions towards one another and pulling on the handle portions to slide the quartz insert out of the exhaust port opening.

This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/819,962, filed Mar.18, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,581.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a tool for removing a quartz insertfrom an exhaust port of a semiconductor process chamber.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The process of depositing layers on a semiconductor wafer (or substrate)usually involves heating the substrate and holding the wafer within astream of deposition (or process) gas flowing around the wafer. FIG. 1Ais a simplified illustration of a typical semiconductor processingchamber that might be used for producing layers on a wafer during thefabrication of semiconductor devices.

Process chamber 100 includes a housing for facilitating the flow of aprocess gas over the surface of wafer. The housing includes a baseplate116 having a gas inlet port 126 and a gas exhaust port 128. An upperclamp ring 122 and a lower clamp ring 124 act to hold a quartz upperdome 118 and a quartz lower dome 120 in place. An upper and lower quartzliner (not shown) is typically disposed between the upper and lowerdomes. Process gas is injected into the process chamber 100 through aninjection cap 130 which is connected to a gas source via piping 134.Residual process gas and various waste products are continuously removedfrom the interior of chamber 100 by an abatement which is coupled tochamber 100 by an exhaust line 133. Process gas and waste products exitthe interior of chamber 100 through the exhaust port 128 and an exhaustcap 132. Exhaust port 128 contains a quartz insert 136. A susceptor 112holds the wafer in position during the semiconductor/layer depositionprocess. Generally, a susceptor support shaft 114 is coupled tosusceptor 112 for rotating the wafer during the semiconductorfabrication process.

FIG. 1B illustrates a top view of baseplate 116. As shown, baseplate 116contains having two exhaust ports 128a and 128b which comprise aperturesthat extend from the inner wall 150 to the outer wall 152 of thebaseplate. FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the quartz insert136 that is used to line the internal surfaces of exhaust port 128a. Itis appreciated that a quartz insert in the mirror-image of insert 136may be used to line the internal surfaces of exhaust port 128b. Theouter width dimensions of quartz insert 136 are generally only slightlysmaller than the inner width of exhaust port aperture 128a. The sidewalls 164 and 166 of quartz insert 136 have essentially the same lengthas exhaust port aperture side walls 154 and 156, respectively.

During semiconductor processing, ideally the injected process gas woulddeposit only on the wafer substrate surface, however, in reality somegas molecules miss the substrate surface and deposit on the processchamber surfaces. Preferably, all portions of the chamber potentiallyexposed to corrosive process chamber gases are made from quartz or othermaterial that are resistant to corrosion induced by the process gasdeposits and residue.

When the build-up of surface deposits on the inside of the processingchamber surfaces becomes thick certain process problems can occur. Toavoid these problems the inside surfaces of the processing chamber areperiodically cleaned to remove the material deposited by the processgas. To inhibit the oxidation of process gas deposits (e.g.,hydrochloric acid and silicon source gas deposits), a nitrogen purge isgenerally established within the process chamber during the removal andcleaning of the various chamber components. A particular problem exists,however, in the removal of the exhaust port quartz inserts. Sinceprocess gas deposits exist between the outer wall surfaces of theexhaust port quartz inserts and the inner wall surfaces of the exhaustport apertures, the slightest exposure of such deposits to air willcause the deposits to oxidize, thus causing the outer walls of thequartz inserts to bond to the inner surfaces of the exhaust portapertures. Thus, it is imperative that the quartz inserts be quicklyremoved from the exhaust port apertures after the chamber is opened forcleaning, otherwise bonding will occur between the quartz inserts andaperture walls making it very difficult to remove the quartz inserts.

Currently, an exhaust quartz insert, such as quartz insert 136, isremoved from the exhaust port aperture 128a of baseplate 116 in one oftwo ways. The first method includes the removal of the exhaust cap andthe use of a chisel, or other blunt object, to force the quartz insertout of the exhaust port. Since a significant amount of time is requiredto remove the exhaust cap in order to gain access to the quartz insertduring this procedure, the outer walls of the quartz insert often bondwith the inner walls of the exhaust port aperture before the quartzinsert is successfully removed. As a result, the quartz insert 136 mustoften be removed by chipping it out of the exhaust port aperture 128a.

A second method that has been used remove a quartz insert from anexhaust port includes the use of a standard set of pliers. To effectremoval of the quartz insert, the handle portions of the pliers areinserted into the through opening of the quartz insert and forcedoutward and twisted so as to engage the walls of the quartz insert.Removal of the quartz inert is attempted by pulling the pliers in anoutward direction while applying the outward and torsional forces to theplier handles. Since the friction coefficient between the plier handlesand quartz insert walls is small (smooth metal surface of pliersengaging the smooth quartz surface), the plier handles tend to slipwhile attempting to remove the quartz insert from the exhaust portaperture. In addition, since the handle portion of the pliers aregenerally curved, the contact area between the plier handles and quartzinsert walls is small, thus enhancing the slippage problem associatedwith this unorthodox use of pliers. Moreover, since the use of standardpliers requires the application of at least three forces (twodirectional forces and one torsional force), the ability to manipulatethe pliers to apply the necessary combination of forces needed to removethe quartz insert from the exhaust port aperture is greatly limited.Other problems, such as scratching of the quartz insert surfaces andbreakage of the quartz insert are also possible when the handle ofstandard pliers are used in the attempt to remove the quartz insertsfrom the process chamber exhaust ports.

What is needed then is an apparatus which solves the problems associatedwith removing a quartz insert from the exhaust port of a semiconductorprocess chamber. As will be seen, the present invention provides quartzinsert removal tool that solves the aforementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a tool for removing a quartz insertfrom an exhaust port of a semiconductor process chamber. In oneembodiment, the tool of the present invention comprises a pair ofgenerally elongated members (a first elongated member and a secondelongated member) that are hingedly attached at a middle portion of eachmember. The first elongated member includes a first handle portion and afirst end portion that are located on opposite ends of the middleportion of the elongated member. The second elongated member includes asecond handle portion, a middle portion, and a second end portion. Thefirst and second handle portions are of sufficient length so as to begripped by a user. A first head and a second head are pivotally attachedto the first and second end portion of the first and second elongatedmembers, respectively. Each head includes a face made of a pliable,gripping material, such as silicon rubber, for engaging the inner sidewall surfaces of a quartz insert that is located within the exhaust portof a semiconductor processing chamber. The quartz insert is removed byinserting the first and second heads into the through bore opening ofthe quartz insert and squeezing the first and second handle portionsinward toward one another such that the face of each head is in abuttingengagement with the inner side wall surfaces of the quartz insert.Removal of the quartz insert is achieved by then pulling on the handleportions to slide the quartz insert out of the exhaust port opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated by way of example and is notlimited by the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which likereferences indicate similar elements, and in which:

FIG. 1A illustrates a simplified cross-sectional view of a semiconductorprocessing chamber.

FIG. 1B illustrates a top view of the baseplate of the semiconductorprocessing chamber depicted in FIG. 1a.

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a quartz insert that may beused within an exhaust port aperture of a semiconductor processingchamber.

FIG. 3 illustrates a front view of a quartz insert removal tool inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a front view of a quartz insert removal tool inaccordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A tool for removing a quartz insert from an exhaust port of asemiconductor process chamber is disclosed. In the followingdescription, numerous specific details are set forth, such as materialtypes, dimensions, etc., in order to provide a thorough understanding ofthe present invention. However, it will be obvious to one of ordinaryskill in the art that the invention may be practiced without thesespecific details. In other instances, well-known structures andprocessing steps have not been shown in particular detail in order toavoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention.

With reference to FIG. 3, a front view of a quartz insert removal tool300 of one embodiment of the present invention is shown. Tool 300 isadapted to remove a quartz insert, such as the one depicted in FIG. 2,from the exhaust port of a semiconductor processing chamber.

Tool 300 includes a first elongated member 302 and a second elongatedmember 304 that are hingedly attached at a first middle portion and asecond middle portion, respectively, at pivot 322. First elongatedmember 302 includes a first handle portion 306 and a first end portion310 that are located along opposite ends of first elongated member 302.Second elongated member 304 is typically a mirror image of firstelongated member 304 and also includes a handle portion 308 and an endportion 312. The first and second handle portions are of sufficientlength so as to be gripped by a user. In one embodiment a spring 328 orother type of resilient member is disposed between the firsts and secondhandle portions 306 and 308 to urge the handle portions away from oneanother.

A first head 314 and a second head 316 are pivotally attached to thefirst end portion 310 and the second end portion 312 at pivots 318 and320, respectively. First head 314 includes a first face 324 that is madeof a pliable, gripping material, such as silicon rubber, for engaging aninner side surface of an exhaust port quartz insert. Second head 316also includes a second face 326 made of a pliable, gripping material forengaging an inner side surface of a quartz insert. In particular, tool300 is adapted to remove the quartz insert 136 of FIG. 2 from theexhaust port of a semiconductor processing chamber. In accordance withone embodiment of the present invention, first face 324 is sized toengage the inner side wall surface 168 of quartz insert 136. Second face326 is accordingly sized to engage the inner side wall surface 170 ofquartz insert 136. Preferably, the length of faces 324 and 326 aresubstantially the same length as side walls 168 and 170, respectively.In one embodiment, the width dimension of faces 324 and 326 are onlyslightly smaller than the height dimensions of side walls 168 and 170,respectively. In this manner, a maximum contact surface area is achievedbetween tool 300 and quartz insert 136. By maximizing the contact areabetween the tool faces 324 and 326 and the side walls of the quartzinsert, the likelihood of slippage is greatly reduced while the quartzinsert is being removed.

The pivotal attachment of heads 314 and 316 to end portions 310 and 312serves to ensure that a maximum achievable contact area between faces324 and 326 with side walls 168 and 170 is achieved. The pivotalattachment of heads 314 and 316 to end portions 310 and 312 also reducesthe possibility of binding the tool heads within the quartz insert.Typically, heads 314 and 316 have a degree of rotation of approximately5 to 20 degrees in either a clockwise or a counter-clockwise rotation.It is appreciated however, that a larger or smaller degree of motion maybe used depending upon the particular removal application.

Elongated members 302 and 304 are typically made of a metal material,such as stainless steel. The handle portion is sized as to be graspedeasily by the user of the tool. First and second heads 314 and 316 maybe made of hard plastic. In one embodiment faces 324 and 326 comprisepads that are secured to heads 314 and 316, respectively. In such anembodiment, the pads comprise a pliable material that is able to gripthe inner side wall surfaces of the quartz insert. For example, the facepads may comprise silicon rubber. In addition to enhancing the grippingaction of the tool, the pliable, gripping faces 324 and 326 of heads 314and 316 also reduce the likelihood of damaging the quartz insert duringthe removal process. In lieu of using face pads, heads 314 and 316 maybe coated with a material that is able grip the side wall surfaces ofthe quartz insert while a compression force is being applied to the toolheads 314 and 316.

In accordance with the present invention, quartz insert 136 of FIG. 2 isremoved from the exhaust port aperture 128a of FIG. 1A by insertingfirst and second heads 314 and 316 into the through bore 172 of quartzinsert 136 and squeezing first and second handle portions 306 and 308inward toward one another such that first and second faces 324 and 326are in abutting engagement with quartz insert inner side walls 168 and170, respectively. Removal of the quartz insert from the exhaust port isthen achieved by the user pulling on the handle portions to slide thequartz insert out of the exhaust port opening. It is appreciated thatthe present invention may be adapted for use with automated orsemi-automated machinery.

In one embodiment, tool 300 has an over length of approximately 9 to 10inches with the handle portions being about 4 to 5 inches. The length offaces 324 and 326 will vary depending upon the dimensions of the quartzinsert to be removed. In an exemplary embodiment, first face 324 has alength in the range of 1 to 2 inches, whereas second face 326 has alength in the range of 2 to 4 inches. The thickness of faces 324 and 326is in the range of 0.125 and 0.25 inches.

In the foregoing discussion, the size of faces 324 and 326 have beendescribed as having substantially the same length and width as quartzinsert side walls 168 and 170. It is appreciated, however, that thepresent invention is not limited to such a requirement. For example, atool having engaging pads and/or faces having a length greater than orless than the length of their respective quartz insert side wallsurfaces may be used. In addition, it is important to note that thedimension of the tool faces 324 and 326 may be varied in accordance withspecific design requirements to ensure that adequate compression forcesare applied at the tool face and quartz insert wall interfaces tominimize the likelihood of slippage between the faces and side walls.FIG. 5 illustrates a tool 500 of the present invention wherein the heads514 and 516 and their respective faces 524 and 526 have the samedimensions.

It is readily apparent that the present invention offers a number ofadvantages over the prior art methods of removing quartz inserts fromthe exhaust ports of semiconductor processing chambers. The presentinvention provides a quartz insert removal tool that is easily managedby the user's hands. Moreover, the quartz insert removal tool of thepresent invention is adapted to engage and maintain non-slippage contactwith the quartz insert during the removal process.

It is understood that the relative dimensions, geometric shapes,materials and process techniques set forth within the specification areexemplary of the disclosed embodiments only. Whereas many alterationsand modifications to the present invention will no doubt become apparentto a person ordinarily skilled in the art having read the foregoingdescription, it is to be understood that the particular embodimentsshown and described by way of illustration are in no way intended to belimiting. Therefore, reference to the details of the illustrateddiagrams is not intended to limit the scope of the claims whichthemselves recite only those features regarded as essential to theinvention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A gripping tool for gripping a quartz insertlocated within a gas port of a semiconductor process chamber, saidquartz insert having a through bore, said through bore containing afirst side and a second side, said second side being parallel to saidfirst side, said gripping tool comprising:a first elongated memberhaving a first handle portion, a first middle portion, and a first endportion, said first middle portion being disposed between said firsthandle and said first end portions; a second elongated member having asecond handle portion, a second middle portion, and a second endportion, said second middle portion being disposed between said secondhandle and said second end portions, said first and second elongatedmembers being pivotally attached at said first and said second middleportions; a first head pivotally attached to said first end portion,said first head having a first face for engaging said first side of saidquartz insert, said first face comprising a gripping material forgripping said first side of said quartz insert; and a second headpivotally attached to said second end portion, said second head having asecond face for engaging said second side of said quartz insert, saidsecond face comprising a gripping material for gripping said second sideof said quartz insert.
 2. The gripping tool of claim 1 wherein saidgripping material comprises an elastomeric material.
 3. The grippingtool of claim 1 wherein said first and second faces are made of siliconrubber.
 4. The gripping tool of claim 1 wherein said first facecomprises an engaging pad that is secured to said first head and saidsecond face comprises a second engaging pad that is secured to saidsecond head.
 5. The gripping tool of claim 4 wherein said first andsecond engaging pads are made of silicon rubber.
 6. The gripping tool ofclaim 1 further comprising a resilient member disposed between saidfirst handle portion and said second handle portion for urging saidfirst and second handle portions away from one another.
 7. The grippingtool of claim 1 wherein said first and second heads have substantiallythe same length.
 8. A method for removing a quartz insert from anexhaust port of a semiconductor processing chamber said quartz inserthaving a through bore containing substantially parallel first and secondsides, said method comprising the steps of:(a) inserting a gripping toolhaving a first head and a second head into said through opening of saidquartz, said first and said second heads having a first face and asecond face, respectively, each of said first and second facescomprising a gripping material for gripping said first and second sidesof said quartz insert; (b) applying a first force to said first andsecond faces so as to place said first and second faces in abuttingengagement with said first and said second sides of said quartz insert,respectively; and (c) applying a second force simultaneous to applyingsaid first force to urge said quartz insert out of said exhaust port ofsaid semiconductor processing chamber.
 9. The method of claim 8 whereinthe step of applying said first force is applied by a human hand. 10.The method of claim 9 wherein the step of applying said second force isapplied by a human hand.